U.S. Supreme Court Case Commentaries

GRATZ v. BOLLINGER: Supreme Court Establishes Limits on Race-Conscious Admissions Policies

Date: Jun 24, 2003

GRATZ v. BOLLINGER: Supreme Court Establishes Limits on Race-Conscious Admissions Policies Introduction GRATZ v. BOLLINGER (539 U.S. 244, 2003) is a landmark decision by the United States Supreme...

Preemption of State Law by Federal Foreign Policy: American Insurance Association v. Garamendi

Date: Jun 24, 2003

Preemption of State Law by Federal Foreign Policy: American Insurance Association v. Garamendi Introduction American Insurance Association, et al. v. John Garamendi, Insurance Commissioner, State of...

Involuntary Medication to Ensure Trial Competency: Insights from Sell v. United States

Date: Jun 17, 2003

Involuntary Medication to Ensure Trial Competency: Insights from Sell v. United States Introduction Sell v. United States (539 U.S. 166, 2003) is a landmark Supreme Court decision that addresses the...

Supreme Court Upholds Michigan's Prison Visitation Restrictions: A New Precedent on Penological Interests

Date: Jun 17, 2003

Supreme Court Upholds Michigan's Prison Visitation Restrictions: A New Precedent on Penological Interests Introduction In the landmark case of William Overton, Director, Michigan Department of...

RRHA Trespass Policy Upheld Under Overbreadth Doctrine in Virginia v. Hicks

Date: Jun 17, 2003

RRHA Trespass Policy Upheld Under Overbreadth Doctrine in Virginia v. Hicks Introduction Virginia v. Hicks, 539 U.S. 113 (2003), addresses the constitutionality of the Richmond Redevelopment and...

Federal Election Commission v. Beaumont: Upholding Corporate Contribution Bans for Nonprofit Advocacy Groups

Date: Jun 17, 2003

Federal Election Commission v. Beaumont: Upholding Corporate Contribution Bans for Nonprofit Advocacy Groups Introduction In Federal Election Commission v. Christine Beaumont et al. (539 U.S. 146,...

Exclusion of Non-Article III Judges in Appellate Panels: A New Precedent

Date: Jun 10, 2003

Exclusion of Non-Article III Judges in Appellate Panels: A New Precedent Introduction In the landmark case of Nguyen v. United States, the United States Supreme Court addressed a critical issue...

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Iowa’s Differential Tax Rates on Slot Machine Revenues: Rational Basis under the Equal Protection Clause

Date: Jun 10, 2003

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Iowa’s Differential Tax Rates on Slot Machine Revenues: Rational Basis under the Equal Protection Clause Introduction In Michael Fitzgerald, Treasurer of Iowa v. Racing...

Desert Palace v. Costa: Direct Evidence Not Mandated for Mixed-Motive Jury Instructions under Title VII

Date: Jun 10, 2003

DESERT PALACE, INC. v. COSTA F. Costa: Direct Evidence Not Mandated for Mixed-Motive Jury Instructions under Title VII Introduction Desert Palace, Inc., dba Caesars Palace Hotel Casino, v. Catharina...

Hillside Dairy Inc. v. Lyons: Commerce Clause and Privileges and Immunities Revisited

Date: Jun 10, 2003

Hillside Dairy Inc. v. Lyons: Commerce Clause and Privileges and Immunities Revisited Introduction Hillside Dairy Inc. et al. v. Lyons is a pivotal 2003 United States Supreme Court case that...

Affirming the Filed Rate Doctrine: Federal Preemption of State Ratemaking in Entergy Louisiana v. LPSC

Date: Jun 3, 2003

Affirming the Filed Rate Doctrine: Federal Preemption of State Ratemaking in Entergy Louisiana v. LPSC Introduction The case of Entergy Louisiana, Inc. v. Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC),...

Origin of Goods under the Lanham Act: Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.

Date: Jun 3, 2003

Origin of Goods under the Lanham Act: Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. 1. Introduction Dastar Corporation v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 539 U.S. 23 (2003), is a landmark...

Beneficial National Bank v. Anderson: Establishing Federal Removal Jurisdiction for Usury Claims Under the National Bank Act

Date: Jun 3, 2003

Beneficial National Bank v. Anderson: Establishing Federal Removal Jurisdiction for Usury Claims Under the National Bank Act Introduction In Beneficial National Bank, et al. v. Marie Anderson et al....

Citizens Bank v. Alafabco: Expanding the Federal Arbitration Act's Reach under Interstate Commerce

Date: Jun 3, 2003

Citizens Bank v. Alafabco: Expanding the Federal Arbitration Act's Reach under Interstate Commerce Introduction The Citizens Bank v. Alafabco, Inc., et al. (539 U.S. 52) is a landmark decision by the...

Supreme Court Upholds FMLA's Abrogation of State Sovereign Immunity in Nevada Dept. v. Hibbs

Date: May 28, 2003

Supreme Court Upholds FMLA's Abrogation of State Sovereign Immunity in Nevada Dept. v. Hibbs Introduction Nevada Department of Human Resources et al. v. Hibbs et al. (538 U.S. 721) is a pivotal U.S....

Ripeness Doctrine Affirmed: National Park Hospitality Association v. Department of the Interior

Date: May 28, 2003

Ripeness Doctrine Affirmed: National Park Hospitality Association v. Department of the Interior Introduction The case of National Park Hospitality Association v. Department of the Interior et al.,...

Chavez v. Martinez: Defining the Limits of Fifth Amendment Protections in Civil Actions

Date: May 28, 2003

Chavez v. Martinez: Defining the Limits of Fifth Amendment Protections in Civil Actions Introduction Chavez v. Martinez, 538 U.S. 760 (2003), is a pivotal Supreme Court decision that clarifies the...

Retroactive Application of Statutory Interpretation: Bunkley v. Florida

Date: May 28, 2003

Retroactive Application of Statutory Interpretation: Bunkley v. Florida Introduction Bunkley v. Florida, 538 U.S. 835 (2003), is a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that addresses...

ERISA Does Not Require Special Deference to Treating Physicians: BLACK DECKER DISABILITY PLAN v. NORD

Date: May 28, 2003

ERISA Does Not Require Special Deference to Treating Physicians: BLACK DECKER DISABILITY PLAN v. NORD Introduction BLACK DECKER DISABILITY PLAN v. NORD is a landmark Supreme Court decision that...

Tribal Sovereign Immunity Not Enforceable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983

Date: May 20, 2003

Tribal Sovereign Immunity Not Enforceable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Introduction In the landmark case Inyo County, California, et al. v. Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop...